Netherlands’ Neptune Marine to build salmon delousing barge for Cermaq Canada

Canadian salmon farm company Cermaq Canada has contracted Netherlands-based Neptune Marine to build a new salmon delousing barge.

The non-self-propelled vessel will be equipped with what the company claims is a 100 per cent environmentally friendly fish delousing system developed by Hydrolicer of Norway.

Neptune will build the 31-metre-long barge at its yard in Aalst.

Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.

Cermaq Canada will use the new vessel to combat the problem of fish lice infestation of salmon stocks, a problem faced by aquaculture companies the world over. Fish lice affect the welfare, as well as the quality, of harvested fish.

Fish delousing will be carried out using Hydrolicer equipment. This technique, developed in cooperation with CFlow Fish Handling, uses seawater under pressure to gently dislodge the fish lice.

Because no chemicals are used, the method is 100 per cent pollution-free and thus environmentally friendly.

The Hydrolicer system can handle 50 tonnes of fish per treatment line. Cermaq’s vessel will be initially installed with four lines, with space for an additional two if required.